Home / Authors / Lord Chesterfield

Lord Chesterfield

Lord Chesterfield Quotes

British Statesman

British statesman known for his epistolary works, which had a profound impact on 18th-century British society.

Filter quotes by topic

All Men People Ifs May Wells Should Company Thinking Giving Manners World Knows Mind Pleasure Character Littles Care Young Long Age

Famous Lord Chesterfield Quotes

“A man who owes a little can clear it off in a very little time, and, if he is a prudent man, will; whereas a man, who by long negligence, owes a great deal, despairs of ever being able to pay, and therefore never looks into his accounts at all.”

Ifs Men Looks Littles Long Able Deals Pay Clear Despair Accounts Debt Prudent Little Time Negligence

Book:Letters Written by the Earl of Chesterfield to His Son

Source: Letters Written by the Earl of Chesterfield to His Son

“Talk often, but never long; in that case, if you do not please, at least you are sure not to tire your hearers. Pay your own reckoning, but do not treat the whole company; this being one of the few cases in which people do not care to be treated, every one being fully convinced that he has wherewithal to pay.”

People Ifs Long Whole Care Pay Company Talking Cases Please Treats Convinced Treated Tire Reckoning

Book:Lord Chesterfield's Letters

Source: Lord Chesterfield's Letters

“I have been too long acquainted with human nature to have great regard for human testimony; and a very great degree of probability, supported by various concurrent circumstances, conspiring in one point, will have much greater weight with me, than human testimony upon oath, or even upon honour; both of which I have frequently seen considerably warped by private views.”

Humans Long Has Beens Truth Views Greater Human Nature Circumstances Degrees Weight Regard Various Honour Probability Testimony Oath Conspiring

Book:Lord Chesterfield's Letters

Source: Lord Chesterfield's Letters

“I have, by long experience, found women to be like Telephus's spear: if one end kills, the other cures.”

Ifs Long Ends Found Women Cures Sexism Spears

Book:The Works of Lord Chesterfield: Including His Letters to His Son, Etc : to which is Prefixed, an Original Life of the Author

Source: The Works of Lord Chesterfield: Including His Letters to His Son, Etc : to which is Prefixed, an Original Life of the Author

“No woman ever yet either reasoned or acted long together consequentially; but some little thing, some love, some resentment, somepresent momentary interest, some supposed slight, or some humour, always breaks in upon, and oversets their most prudent resolutions and schemes.”

Littles Long Together Women Interest Break Humour Resolution Little Things Sexism Resentment Schemes Prudent Momentary

Book:Letters Written by the Earl of Chesterfield to His Son

Source: Letters Written by the Earl of Chesterfield to His Son

“I often wish for the end of the wretched remnant of my life; and that wish is a rational one; but then the innate principle of self-preservation, wisely implanted in our natures, for obvious purposes, opposes that wish, and makes us endeavour to spin out our thread as long as we can, however decayed and rotten it may be.”

May Long Ends Self Age Death Purpose Wish Principles Obvious Rational Old Age Thread Preservation Wretched Innate Rotten Endeavour Self Preservation Remnants

Author:Lord Chesterfield

“A man of sense soon discovers, because he carefully observes, where and how long he is welcome; and takes care to leave the company at least as soon as he is wished out of it. Fools never perceive whether they are ill timed or ill placed.”

Men Long Care Company Fool Ill Take Care Welcome Perceive

Book:Lord Chesterfield's Letters

Source: Lord Chesterfield's Letters

“It may be objected, that I am now recommending dissimulation to you; I both own and justify it. It has been long said: Qui nescitdissimular nescit regnare: I go still farther, and say, that without some dissimulation, no business can be carried on at all.”

May Long Has Beens Said Stills Lying Deceit Justify Dishonesty

Author:Lord Chesterfield

“The late Président de Montesquieu told me that he knew how to be blind--he had been so for such a long time--but I swear that I do not know how to be deaf: I cannot get used to it, and I am as humiliated and distressed by it today as I was during the first week. No philosophy in the world can palliate deafness.”

Knows World Firsts Long Philosophy Today Used Know How Week Late Long Time Blind Swear Blindness Deaf Humiliated Deafness Montesquieu

Author:Lord Chesterfield

“Real merit of any kind cannot long be concealed; it will be discovered, and nothing can depreciate it but a man exhibiting it himself. It may not always be rewarded as it ought; but it will always be known.”

Men Kind May Long Real Known Ought Discovery Merit Concealed Depreciate

Author:Lord Chesterfield

“May you live as long as you are fit to live, but no longer, or, may you rather die before you cease to be fit to live than after!”

May Long Dies Health Fit Blessing Cease

Book:The Works of Lord Chesterfield: Including His Letters to His Son, Etc : to which is Prefixed, an Original Life of the Author

Source: The Works of Lord Chesterfield: Including His Letters to His Son, Etc : to which is Prefixed, an Original Life of the Author

“A novel must be exceptionally good to live as long as the average cat.”

Long Book Reading Novel Cat Average

Author:Lord Chesterfield

“Remember, as long as you live, that nothing but strict truth can carry you through the world, with either your conscience or your honor unwounded.”

World Long Remember Honor Conscience Strict Your Honor

Book:The Works of Lord Chesterfield: Including His Letters to His Son, Etc : to which is Prefixed, an Original Life of the Author

Source: The Works of Lord Chesterfield: Including His Letters to His Son, Etc : to which is Prefixed, an Original Life of the Author

“Unlike my subject will I frame my song, It shall be witty and it shan't be long.”

Long Song Subjects Witty

Author:Lord Chesterfield

“Most arts require long study and application, but the most useful art of all, that of pleasing, requires only the desire.”

Long Art Desire Study Application Helpfulness

Author:Lord Chesterfield

About the Author

Born: September 22, 1694
Died: March 24, 1773
Known for: British Statesman
Quotes: 437

Related Topics

Men People Ifs May Wells Should Company Thinking Giving Manners World Knows Mind Pleasure Character Littles Care Young Long Age

Popular Topics

People Ifs Thinking Knows Men World Way Want Love Life Inspirational Needs Giving Feels Should Writing Trying Years Mind Firsts

Books & Sources

Lord Chesterfield's LettersRelated source material

The Works of Lord Chesterfield: Including His Letters to His Son, Etc : to which is Prefixed, an Original Life of the AuthorRelated source material

Letters Written by the Earl of Chesterfield to His SonRelated source material

The Modern ChesterfieldRelated source material

LETTERS TO HIS SONRelated source material

Similar Authors

Jean de la BruyereBrowse related quotes
Samuel JohnsonBrowse related quotes
Francois de La RochefoucauldBrowse related quotes
Johann Wolfgang von GoetheBrowse related quotes
Michel de MontaigneBrowse related quotes
Francis BaconBrowse related quotes
Ralph Waldo EmersonBrowse related quotes
Gilbert K. ChestertonBrowse related quotes
Joseph AddisonBrowse related quotes
Blaise PascalBrowse related quotes